Steam-engine



UNITED STATES PATENT OEFGE.

JOHN RANDALL, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND REUBEN R. SMALLEY, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

STEAM-ENGINE Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,242, dated. May 8, 1860.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN RANDALL, of Elmira, in Chemung county and State of New York, have invented a new and usew ful Improvement in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing through letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l, represents a front elevation of my engine; Fig. 2, a rear elevation; Fig. 3, a top view of the gearing with the steam cylinder and valves in section; Fig. 4 a vertical section taken longitudinally through the center of the steam cylinder and heater.

The same letters of reference occurring in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The steam cylinder (A) is constructed with. a dividing plate (b) in the center thus forming two distinct working cylinders with a piston (c) in each, which are connected by piston rods (cl) and pitmans (e) with the cranks (f, f) on the axes of the pulleys (g, g,) which are arranged parallel to each other and supported in suitable bearings (h and i). Each compartment of the cylinder is fitted with ingress and egress pas sages for the steam which are opened and closed by valves of any of the known forms for that purpose operated by suitable gearing (Z).

The steam cylinder (A) and bearings (h) are seated upon, and secured to a hollow casting (B) which serves the purpose of a bed plate and heater through which the exhaust steam passes from the engine to heat the water for the boiler.

Between the pulleys (g, g,) is arranged another marked (m) its axis resting at one end in a bearing (n) cast with or attached to the side of the cylinder, and is supported on the other side of the pulley, on the frame (C) these pulleys are sufciently wide upon the face to give room for two belts (29, p,) to run side by side passing around the two outer ones, and one of them passing over and the other under the middle (m) spur gearing may be used instead of band wheels if the engine is to be used to drive m'achinery for which it would be more desirable.

The cranks (f, f,) are set at right angles to each other, for the purpose of overcoming the dead points in their revolutions resulting from the changing of reciprocating into rotary motion, and are rotated in the same direction (as indicated by the arrows) while the center pulley or wheel (m) (as the case may be) 1s rotated, by the belts passing around it one over and the other under or by the spur teeth meshing in on both sides, in the opposite direction and is thus suspended by the belts or teeth and rotated from both sides maintaining its position almost independently of its bearings, and producing a uniform and;I steady motion without the use of the heavy balance wheel usually employed for that purpose. By this arrangement the expense of, and space occupied by a heavy balance wheel, the power required to keep it in motion and the friction and wear of its journals, are all saved, resulting in a great reduction in the consumption of fuel to perform a given amount of work; and the economy in first cost, space occupied and consumption of fuel by making the bed plate hollow to serve as a heater, giving space for a large amount of pipe thereby heating the water to a high degree before entering the boiler is very Oreat compared with any other way of framing such an engine.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-w 1. I claim the double cylinder engine, constructed arranged and operating substantially as set forth; and

2. In combination therewith I claim the method herein described of gearing the said engine to the main or driving shaft so as to dispense with the ordinary balance wheel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of February A. D.

JOHN RANDALL. Witnesses GEO. L. DAVIS, H. C. SPAULDING. 

